The present invention relates broadly to telecommunications and remote control of physical processes in a laboratory. More specifically, the present invention relates to the control of physical processes in a laboratory via a computer network.
Distance learning is an exploding field that is driven by the Internet revolution. A key component of current distance learning implementations in science and engineering, however, is missing: laboratory experimentation. Experimental demonstrations in class enhance the learning experience, and provide a sense of realism to complex theoretical concepts. However, cost is an obstacle. Many universities, colleges, high schools and primary schools lack sufficient resources to implement laboratory experiments. Not only is the cost of equipment a significant factor, but labor costs associated with staffing a laboratory are also considerably high. Without a laboratory component distance learning programs are not only inferior to classical education methods, but the programs cannot satisfy basic accreditation criteria. Classical laboratory teaching programs are costly, as highly trained personnel are needed to design, implement and maintain them, while infrequent use contributes to large fixed costs. Thus, science courses requiring laboratory experimentation are a significant obstacle to distance learning applications.
One of the strongest features of a global computer network such as the Internet is the ability to provide multiple users with many-to-one access to resources. A laboratory is the type of resource that is easily used by many, and far more people in the world have access to a computer connected to the Internet than have access to a laboratory. However, In order to conduct physical processes in a laboratory environment, feedback from the physical processes such as equipment operation as well as data collection must be provided to the student or other user with minimal delay. Thus, it is the xe2x80x9clook and feelxe2x80x9d of a laboratory that must be accurately reproduced if a laboratory is to be accessed via the Internet. Not only does a laboratory user need to collect and analyze data quickly to manipulate physical processes in a laboratory, but he or she also must be able to see what is happening during the process.
Transporting video data in real time across the Internet is a major obstacle for applications such as the online laboratory. The sheer volume of data that is required to be sent often experiences delays that make online laboratory experiments difficult if not impossible to implement.
Thus there is a need for a system and method that allow users to manipulate via a computer network physical processes conducted in remotely located laboratories and provide data and video feedback during the physical process with minimal delay.
The present invention enables multiple users from different physical locations to access, observe, control and manipulate physical processes or environments either synchronously or asynchronously over computer networks such as the internet or a private intranet. Providing a unique way to distribute information, this technology consequently brings a new method in sharing information that can be applied in a variety of activities such as distance learning, medical practice, oil exploration, drug development, chemistry, physics, pollution monitoring, weather data collection, and many other fields in which instruments provide data about physical and other processes.
Users that are connected to computer works such as the internet can perform tasks such as controlling devices and processes in real time. By reserving lab sessions through on-line scheduling, users may have secure and exclusive access to the experiment during scheduled periods. Features of the present invention include: live video and data stream. In this feature the user may visually monitor a physical setup and the state of an experiment or environment. Another feature is real-time two-way communication with instrumentation systems. Users may directly control lab instrumentation and receive live feedback regarding the input commands. In another feature real-time computational analysis may be performed. Not only measurement data may be collected into the database, computational analysis i.e. statistics transforms can be generated and displayed as the measurement being collected. In another feature the present invention provides a user interface incorporating an online user notebook. The notebook provides users with the interface to manage user data such as collected data, lab parameters, to-do lists, personal notes, etc.